Anastasia Island beach mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anastasia Island beach mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
P. p. phasma
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| Trinomial name | |
| Peromyscus polionotus phasma Bangs, 1898
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The Anastasia Island beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus phasma) is a small, pale mouse. It is a special type of oldfield mouse. This mouse lives on sandy beaches in Florida and Alabama. Sadly, it is an endangered species. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever. Its beach home is being destroyed by nature and by people.
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About the Anastasia Island Beach Mouse
This beach mouse is about 13.85–14.28 cm (5.45–5.62 in) long, including its tail. It has a light tan fur coat with a white belly. You might also see faint white marks on its face. Its light color helps it blend in with the sand. This is a clever way to hide from predators. Males and females that are not pregnant weigh around 12.5 g (0.44 oz). Pregnant females are a bit heavier, about 20 g (0.71 oz).
Where Do These Mice Live?
These mice live in the sandy dunes of Anastasia Island in Florida. They used to live in more places, from the St. Johns River down to Anastasia Island. But their homes have been lost. Now, they only live in a smaller area.
The best homes for them are mature dunes. These dunes have some plants but are not too crowded. This setup is perfect for digging burrows. It also gives the mice plenty of food. These dunes are usually found between the high-tide line and the thicker plants further inland. Sometimes, beach mice live in abandoned burrows of ghost crabs. But they can also dig their own homes.
How Do These Mice Behave?
What Do Anastasia Island Beach Mice Eat?
These mice eat small insects and coastal plants. They enjoy beach grasses and sea oats. They collect seeds that have fallen from plants. Every night, they leave their burrows to gather sea oat seeds. Then, they take them back to their burrows for storage.
The coast's weather can change a lot. So, other seasonal plants offer more food during the year. These include beach pea (Galactia spp.), coastal ground cherry (Physalis angustifolia), and evening primrose (Oenothera humifusa).
Where Do Beach Mice Shelter?
Burrows are usually built at the base of a grass clump. They are on the sloped side of a dune. A burrow is home to either a single pair of mice or a mother and her young. The entrance is a small hole, about 1 to 2 inches wide. It leads to a 3 to 4-foot tunnel of the same size.
The tunnel leads to a main room. This room usually has a second "escape tunnel" leading out the back. The escape tunnel does not open to the surface. It ends just below the sand. If the burrow is disturbed, the mouse uses this tunnel. It pushes through the sand to escape. These burrows are used for storing food, sleeping, and raising young. They also offer a safe place from predators.
How Do Beach Mice Reproduce?
These mice are monogamous. This means they have one mate for life. Females can have babies when they are 6 weeks old. They can produce a litter of pups in just 20 to 23 days. The main breeding season is from November to early January. But they can breed all year if the weather and food are good. An average litter has 4 pups. But it can range from 2 to 7.
How Do Beach Mice Survive?
The average lifespan of these mice is 9 months. However, many young mice do not survive past 4 months.
Natural predators include snakes, skunks, raccoons, and the great blue heron. Some introduced species also threaten the mouse. These include domestic cats and dogs, as well as foxes.
Why Are These Mice Endangered?
The Anastasia Island beach mouse is very sensitive to its environment. This is because it needs a very specific dune habitat. The land where these mice live is very valuable. So, new buildings and homes are always being built there. This means people are moving closer to the dunes. This directly and indirectly harms the mice.
When people visit the dunes, they can damage the habitat. Also, they bring their pets like cats and dogs. These pets can become new predators for the mice. So, human activity is a growing threat to these small, defenseless mice.
Stronger hurricane seasons also threaten the beach mouse. Sand dunes are formed by coastal grasses and plants. These plants help sand pile up around them. As the plants grow, the dunes get bigger. This process takes a long time. But hurricanes are happening more often and are stronger. This means dunes have less time to recover before the next storm. While dunes are rebuilding, beach mice must live in less ideal areas. These areas are not as good for finding food or digging burrows. This puts them more at risk from environmental factors.
What Can We Do to Help?
There are several ways to help save the Anastasia Island beach mouse. Both governments and individuals can take action.
Reintroduction is when experts move a small group of mice to a habitat where they used to live. If the new place has good features and food, and is safe, the mice can be released there. The hope is they will settle in and thrive.
Another option is translocation. This means moving mice from a large, healthy group to a smaller one. This helps increase the number of mice in the smaller group. It also improves their genetic diversity. More genetic diversity makes the group stronger. It helps them fight diseases and genetic problems in the future.
People who live near beach mouse habitats can also help.
- Learn about the plants that hold the dunes together. Try not to disturb them. These plants are also food for the mice. Damaging them harms the whole ecosystem.
- Stay on paths and trails when walking on or near the beach. This helps protect the plants and dunes.
- Keep cats indoors as much as possible. Never feed stray cats on the beach. Domesticated cats are a big threat to the beach mouse. We should not encourage them to be in this environment.
